


Heroes and Stuffed Shirts

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-20 11:14:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2426711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What’s Prentiss’s bar name?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heroes and Stuffed Shirts

“I'm late, I know.” Hotch walked into Absinthe on a warm autumn night. The team held up their usual set of tables in a far corner. “There was a train derailment…luckily no one was injured. We had to switch tracks and I left the office later than I thought I would.”

 

“Actually, you're right on time.” Derek replied.

 

“I am not buying the next round.”

 

“The next round is on the kid.” Rossi said, tilting his head toward Reid. Reid was looking over the appetizer menu.

 

“Well I'm not singing karaoke either. I would rather spend the rest of the night buying.”

 

“You need to save Prentiss.” JJ said.

 

“What?” Hotch raised an eyebrow. “Where is she?”

 

Derek did the turnaround motion with his finger and Hotch did. Emily stood at the crowded bar. She looked to be waiting for drinks while beating off the advances of one of the many DC suits. This guy did not seem to get the message. Hotch muttered an expletive under his breath. He put his jacket over the empty chair. Unbuttoning his shirtsleeves and rolling them up, he allowed Garcia to muss his hair.

 

“Am I jealous and overbearing or sweet and apologetic?” he asked.

 

“Where are you going Hotch?” Reid asked.

 

“To the bar.”

 

“Sweet and apologetic,” Rossi replied.

 

“Catch the guy off guard.” Derek added. “You know we got your back.”

 

“Right. JJ?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“What's Prentiss’s bar name?”

 

“Cassandra.”

 

“I love that,” Garcia said. “I always use my own…no one believes me anyway.”

 

“Women really plan that in advance?” Reid asked. “I thought that was only on TV.”

 

“You watch TV?” Rossi asked.

 

“I can't sleep sometimes.”

 

“I’ll be back.” Hotch took a deep breath and walked over to the bar.

 

He could sense Emily’s dread even with the long distance between them. The place was packed tonight, not to capacity but close. An 80s cover band played on stage. Hotch appreciated that the music wasn’t blasting; it was a decent rendition of Cutting Crew. The guy bothering her didn’t seem to stop talking. From the look on his face, along with body language, it was clear he was lying through his teeth. How did women deal with this BS everyday of their lives?  Hotch only remembered three times when a woman tried to pick him up.   He did not find to be an altogether unpleasant experience.  


 

“Cass, hi honey,” he moved in quickly. His arm went around her as he pressed a kiss to her temple. “I'm sorry I'm so late; traffic was horrendous.”

 

“Hey there.”

 

“Charlie Finch,” he held his hand out to the perplexed stranger. “Very tardy husband of this beautiful woman. It was nice of you to keep my wife company for a little while.”

 

“Yeah. I'm Greg.” The guy mumbled and offered Hotch a limp handshake. The BAU Agent hardly hid his smirk. “I didn’t realize…”

 

“I never got a chance to tell you.” Emily replied, shrugging.

 

“It’s alright sport. I have it all under control now.” he turned Emily to face him. She grinned. “I really missed you today.” He kissed her lips. “They told me you were over at the bar and I just had to come and kiss you.”

 

“I was beginning to worry,” she played along. “Your cell kept going to voicemail.”

 

“I'm here, love.”

 

The rejected, wannabe suitor took a few minutes to collect his thoughts and assess what was happening. He mumbled again, something about his friends and not wanting to be rude, before ambling back into the thick crowd. Emily was too distracted to watch him pick up the fractured pieces of his manhood.

 

“Hey Em,” the voice of James the bartender was finally able to tear her eyes away from Hotch’s. “Sorry about the wait kid; I got your drinks.”

 

“Thanks.” She turned to grab the two Smirnoff Ices. “It was worth the wait.”

 

“He is probably still watching. His type usually does.” Hotch whispered as they made their way back to the table. “Just follow my lead.”

 

“Alright.”

 

His arm went around her waist, sliding down to cup her ass. Emily looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

 

“Oh you love this don’t you?”

 

“I'm just doing what your teammates asked me to do. I'm rescuing you.”

 

“No good deed goes unpunished, Aaron.” She reminded him.

 

“I'm interested to see how we can interpret that later. No fair calling me Aaron.”

 

“That’s your name, isn’t it?” this time she looked at him.

 

Without a second thought, Hotch clucked her under the chin. They were both smiling.

 

His colleagues cheered him when they returned to the table. Hotch and Derek high fived.

 

“The kiss was a good touch.” JJ said.

 

“I had to make it believable.” Hotch replied.

 

“I wish we had a picture of that guy’s face.” Garcia laughed as she took her bottle from Prentiss. “Even from over here we could see how silly he felt.”

 

“Aaron Hotchner,” Emily threw her arms around him and kissed his mouth. “My hero.”

 

That got catcalls from the whole group. Emily just smiled, telling them if she couldn’t kiss her husband who could she kiss. Derek was almost sure Hotch blushed but it seemed impossible. He sat down next to her as they drank and ate bar food. There was great music and Rossi deferred to him before taking Emily out to dance to Prince’s Kiss.

 

“Yeah, but don’t flirt with her.” Hotch replied.

 

“Might as well leave her behind, Rossi.” JJ said laughing,

 

Hotch felt at ease “playing” couple with their friends. It wasn’t the same as them knowing, but his closeness with Em that evening troubled no one. They both played it up, laughing right along with everyone else. And when he offered to share a cab with her at the end of the night Garcia told her to make sure he paid for it. Hotch hoped to get the hero treatment when they were finally alone in his apartment. He knew the rules of marriage…she would give him whatever she wanted and he would like it.

 

“What's on your mind?” Emily asked as a cab pulled up to the curb. Hotch held the door for her. “I can see it in your eyes; what are you up to?”

 

He just gave her an enigmatic smile. Putting his hand on the small of her back, Hotch helped her into the cab. He would tell her soon how much fun it was being Mr. and Mrs., even if it was just for an evening. If only everything was as easy as a night out with their friends.

 

***


End file.
